The Zen Birdfeeder focuses on the birds and other nature we find in our own yards and the zen principles of ATTENTION, ACCEPTANCE, and RESPONSIBILITY.

July 30, 2015

Q: Will the birds go hungry if my feeders go empty while I'm on vacation or away from home?

A. When we leave home for a few days, besides watering the plants and stopping the mail, we often wonder what's going to happen with our birds. Will they go hungry if the feeders go empty? And will they come back?

The good news is that the birds won't go hungry - they'll just fly to another source of food.

And when you return and start filling the feeders again with your high-quality birdfoods, they WILL return. Birds remember where they have found quality food sources and will check them periodically. Be patient if it takes a few days for them to find that their favorite food is available again and only refill the feeders halfway until the birds are back visiting in full force again.

July 28, 2015

It's natural for us humans to worry about "our" birds when we're going to be gone for a few days. "What are the birds going to do???", we ask.

I assure you, they'll do just fine, but if you want to provide some foods that will last for the longest period of time after you leave, I do have a few suggestions.

WBU Birdfood Cylinders

When we're leaving home for a few days, our #1 go-to birdfood is large birdfood cylinders. Cylinders are made of a variety of seed and nuts, and some even have suet or fruit in them (with absolutely no fillers). The ingredients are compressed and held together with gelatin to form a round cylinder.

Large cylinders weigh over 4 pounds each, and they last longer than a comparable four pounds of loose seed in a hopper feeder.

When placed on a cylinder feeder with both a cover and a tray (to keep the cylinder dry and catch pieces as they break off) and on your squirrel-proof Advanced Pole System set-up, a group of cylinders will often last for many days into your absence. The Cylinder Cafe feeder with its large cover and ventilated tray is ideal for large cylinders.

To add even more cylinders to a vacation buffet, I take the hopper feeder off the top of one of my Advanced Pole System set-ups, replace it with a double crook, and hang two more cylinders feeders. When I return home, I switch back to the hopper feeder. This flexibility is one of the many advantages to the WBU Advanced Pole System!

Suet Cylinders

To provide suet while you're gone, a suet cylinder works well and lasts longer than a small suet cake. Below is a suet cylinder being enjoyed by a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. You can also put a suet cylinder in a WBU Dinner Bell feeder (pictured below with a small cylinder) that lets you lower the cover to exclude larger birds.

WBU Eliminator Feeder

Our Eliminator Squirrel-proof birdfeeder holds a lot of seed (3 quarts) to last many days into your time away. Squirrels are not eating away at the seed, so all of it is for your birds. It has weight-sensitive perches, so if you want to exclude larger birds, you can make the adjustment and the seed will last even longer.

Absolute Birdfeeder

This squirrel-resistent birdfeeder holds a LOT of seed - 10 pounds of it! Birds that tend to "sweep" at birdseed in search of the heaviest seed or nut will have a harder time doing that through the square feeder ports, so less seed is sent flying to the ground. (We say "squirrel-resistent" vs. "squirrel-proof" because we have had Red Squirrels and chipmunks figure it out.)

We fill ours with safflower seed, which the Purple Finches and grosbeaks love, but the Blue Jays don't prefer. That helps the seed last longer!

Now depending on how long you're gone and the availability of natural food sources, your results may vary, but these are the strategies I use to feed the birds as long as I can while I'm away from home. Now you can enjoy your vacation and not worry about your birds!!!

July 23, 2015

One of the sweetest bird behavior to witness is when a young bird is being fed by a parent. We've had many young birds show up in our yard this summer, and I've been lucky enough to see quite a few of them begging and being fed.

But when the bird dad is as flashy as a male Northern Cardinal, the scene is one that just sticks in your mind. Here's a few images of a cardinal dad taking care of one of his young. Then check out the short video of the young bird being fed by dad and continuing to ask for more with a wing quiver and persistent begging call.

July 21, 2015

The title should actually be "what to watch AND LISTEN for in your yard", as young jays become extremely vocal while calling for attention from their caretakers.

Young Blue Jays are often about the size of the adults by the time they enter your yard. At first, they'll hang around in trees fairly quietly, at least until an adult approaches. Then, like a needy child, they'll turn on the show with a big wing quiver and a desperate, screechy whine for food.

As days go on, the jay nursery may get bigger as more young jays from surrounding areas fledge. Tending to the needy young are not only the parents, but perhaps the unpaired, previous year's birds as well.

When a raucous group of jays descends into your yard, it makes for quite a commotion. Be forewarned, this din can go on for quite some time - you may still see young calling for food well into August! The young will continue to look for an easy handout even when totally capable of getting food themselves.

Early on, look for some of the telltale features of young jays: fleshy corners to their beaks, a shorter tail, or perhaps some feathers that haven't quite emerged from their sheaths. But right now, you could know with your eyes closed when young jays are in your yard - just listen!

July 16, 2015

At this time of the summer - the month of July - as far as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds go, it may be more of what you're NOT seeing! You may see male hummingbirds now and then, grabbing a sip of nectar in between visits to nectar-bearing flowers and picking off the now plentiful insect and spider buffet.

Females, on the other hand, are busy girls and their visits to our feeders are noticeable fewer. Mother hummingbirds build their nest, which can take up to a week to 10 days to build. She will lay two eggs and she alone will incubate the eggs for over two weeks, spending more time on the nest than off. Once the eggs hatch, the naked young need to be brooded to regulate their temperature, so mom spends a great deal of the day on the nest for about another two weeks. And of course, she has to keep them fed, so she quickly seeks out insects and high quality nectar sources and returns to the nest to regurgitate it for her hungry pair.

She, like other avian nest-tenders, is totally dedicated to the success of her young. So while you may be seeing a little less of her right now, come August she'll reward the patient amongst us with two beautiful hummingbirds, who will make it one of the most amazing months to watch hummingbirds.

July 14, 2015

"Our Love of Loons" is a handsome little gift book by photographer, author, and naturalist Stan Tekiela. In our shop, Stan is most recognized as the person behind the very popular Birds of New York Field Guide.

Of course, coming from Stan, Our Love of Loons features absolutely gorgeous photography sharing some of the most precious moments in a loon's life - behaviors, courtship, nesting, molting, migration, and oh yes, baby loons! I just wish there were even more of those precious baby loon pictures.

An informative paragraph accompanies each image, providing interesting information and answering common questions like "do they really mate for life" as well as less common ones like "why do they shake their foot?" If you're like me, you will learn something new about these intriguing and beloved birds, such as the fact that loons change their diet from freshwater fish in summer to saltwater fish in winter.

In the back of the book is an Observation Notes page to record dates and notes about your own loon sightings.

The book's size (7-1/4" x 7-1/4") and length (44 pages) make it a perfect little book for anyone who loves loons. And it's perfect if you or a friend have a home on a lake blessed with loons!

DRAWING: Comment on this post or on the corresponding Facebook post to have your name entered in a drawing to win my review copy of Our Love of Loons. Entries close July 31, 2015. Winner will be notified by email or Facebook message.

In accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255, it is disclosed that the copy of the book read in order to produce this review was provided gratis to the reviewer by the publisher and may be offered for sale in the reviewer's Wild Birds Unlimited shop.

July 09, 2015

The Black-capped Chickadees in one of my nest boxes were probably ready to go, but the estimated fledge day was rainy all day long. The next day was only a little better, but when you gotta fledge, you gotta fledge!

Here's a couple videos of the big day. The first video shows a nestling getting fed by parents, encouraged by parents (listen for the soft "fee-bee" call), but the young one just can quite muster the courage to take that first flight...yet.

After not too long, there's one of the young at the nesthole again.

Here's some things to watch or listen for as you watch: - At the very beginning, a parent leaves the box after bringing in an insect for the young birds inside. - One of the nestlings emerges and calls, sitting on the inside lip of the hole. - At :30, a parent returns to feed but doesn't enter box. - Listen for the soft "fee bee" call, a parent encouraging the young bird.- At :50, the young bird moves to the front edge of the hole - it's getting braver!! - At 1:21, the young chickadee leaves the box on its very first flight! It will never return to the box. - At 1:22, a parent leaves an insect at the hole for the remaining nestlings. - Throughout the video, you can see other nestlings through the ventilation slot above the nesthole.

July 07, 2015

As many young birds leave the nest for the first time, they often stay in the immediate vicinity of their nest. But as a few days pass and they become stronger flyers, they venture farther out.

Watch these young birds accompany their parents to your yard. At first they're not quite ready to tackle the birdfeeders yet. Their landings may still be clumsy and they're still discovering what is food and what isn't. So they're still being fed by their parents.

Blue Jay feeding young

You'll find that during this short period, these young birds will sit in or on a nearby tree or shrub while their parent gathers food at your birdfeeders. Sometimes they sit quietly, and sometimes they can be quite vocal or moan-y. As the parent approaches (with food or not), the young birds will call out. They may quiver their wings and open their mouth wide, hoping to be fed.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak young

So watch for a parent leaving your feeders with food in their mouth and they might be approaching an anxious and hungry youngster in your tree.

Tufted Titmouse and young

It is such a wonderful sight to watch young birds being fed! Take all this in while you can. Within days, the young birds will follow their parents' lead and start making their own trips to your birdfeeders. And with many species, the ability to tell young from old will disappear.

June 24, 2015

After having spent 20-23 days in the nest as eggs and nestlings, young Northern Cardinals are fledging and beginning to follow their parents into your yard. Both mom or dad will feed the young, so watch for a tan bird tailing an adult cardinal.

All young cardinals - male and female alike - will have a crest (sometimes not fully filled in) and will have the coloration of an adult female: light tan with some reddish shades. But to pick out a young bird, check out the beak. Instead of the bright orange beak both adults flash, a young cardinal's beak will be dark. Sometimes very dark, almost black, and sometimes lighter and tannish. But it is not orange!

Young Northern Cardinal

Adult femaleImage by WBU customer Mary Foss Bullard

Adult male

Enjoy this differentiation while you can. Cardinals molt in later summer or early fall, and by winter, the juvenile males will look just like dad with a beautiful red coat of feathers, and all their beaks, young and old, male and female, will be orange.

June 17, 2015

Well that didn't take long! Just a few days ago I posted to look for woodpecker parents carrying mouthfuls of Bark Butter back to the nest. And now the young are starting to show up in the yard!

Young Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy and Downy Woodpecker fledglings have probably already been out of the nest for a few days by the time you see them in your yard. During those first few days, they stay close to the nest location and are still fed by mom and dad. But now's the time to venture a bit further and for mom and dad to show the young where to find food, hopefully at your birdfeeders!

Hairy and downy parents will bring their young to the area around your birdfeeders at first, so keep an eye on nearby trees. Young birds will wait there for a parent to bring them a beakful of food. Watch closely and you may be lucky enough to see a parent feeding a young bird. After a few days, the young will join the parent on the birdfeeder and soon after that, the young bird will start picking at the food as they learn to feed themselves at your feeders.

Young Downy Woodpeckers

Here's some helpful hints to identify young woodpeckers:

Young woodpeckers will be almost full sized birds and oftentimes are larger than their parents who have lost weight while tending to young in the nest.

Young birds will show clean, unworn feathers. Their parents, on the other hand, look a little unkempt. The parents' feathers look worn (think of all those trips in and out of the nesthole!) and the white feathers can look a little brownish from the tannins in the tree.

Young birds will look somewhat fluffy, especially on their head.

If you see a patch of red on the top of a Downy or Hairy Woodpecker's head, it is a young bird. If it's a male, the patch will reappear on the back of his head (just like dad's) after his first molt.

Watching young birds is so enjoyable. Power up your observation skills and enjoy their antics!

WBU Sites

ATTENTION

Our eyes and ears should be open and alert to the natural wonders that surround us every day. Take time to look out our windows to see the birds that visit us and open our windows to hear them. Walk around whatever space we have to enjoy the birds in nature. Every day, work on improving our powers of observation.

ACCEPTANCE

Nature happens. We cannot MAKE natural things happen (or NOT happen). We can create habitats to encourage natural things to happen around us, but there are no guarantees.

RESPONSIBILITY

Birdfeeding comes with responsibilities to the birds and the environment we share with them. If you are unwilling to accept these responsibilities, you shouldn’t feed the birds. We also have a responsibility to share these natural wonders with the next generation.